Naruto: The Next Generation
by nudlezjr
Summary: Shy Sarada Uchiha is constantly trying to get stronger to grab her father's attention, prankster Bolt Uzamaki just wants to prove that he can be just as strong as his father, and laid back Shikadai Nara just wants enough money to move out. Follow these three on their missions when they get put on a squad together.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Cheater

"I advise that everyone practices their jutsu before the final exam tomorrow," Sensei Aburame gloomily reminds the class as they began to exit. The students cannot tell if he is sad about them graduating, or about a certain student not graduating. Everyone looks at Bolt Uzumaki, the boy infamous for purposely holding the class back. Sarada Uchiha is convinced that it is for the same reason she constantly pushes herself to get better- to get her father's attention. The difference, however, is the path they take to accomplish their goals. Sarada is constantly trying (and failing) to master the sharingan along with other jutsu, while Bolt constantly stirs trouble with his pranks. Sarada often gets jealous of Bolt, for his method tends be more successful than hers. It's a given that Bolt will purposely fail the exam so that his father, the Hokage, will train him to get better for the next exam. Sarada felt a little bad for him. She knows where he is coming from, but she doesn't understand why he puts himself through that to get his dad's attention. If only she has the courage to say something.

"Come on man, don't purposely flunk the exam just because of your daddy issues," Everyone's favorite slacker, Shikadai Nara, says to Bolt who he had recently directed his attention at. Shikadai usually tries not to get involved in other people problems, because it usually ends up being a drag, but he felt like a few words of wisdom for the kid where necessary. Shikadia's wisdom was quickly halted, however, when the scary bitch that goes by the name of Ren Inazuma passed him.

She is best friends with Sarada, but acts more like a big brother to her. When they were little, she carried around two sticks, and beat people up with them whenever they would piss her off. One time in the third grade, Shikadai stole Sarada's jump rope on the playground. He ended up going home that day with a black eye and a cut across his forehead. As they got older, those sticks got replaced by a pair of black, metal batons. Her face does not make her any less scary, either.

Her father is an ambassador from the Village Hidden in the Clouds, and apparently it is part of the Inazuma clan tradition to grow their hair out to abnormal lengths and pierce their faces with metal rods. Ren's light blond hair falls down to her hips, and is tied off at the very end with a black hair tie. She has dark blue eyes, three piercings in her ears, a piercing right above the center of her top lip, and two piercings going completely through her nose. The point is, the piercings are not helping her case. She squinted at the two of them as she walked past them on her way to Sarada.

"Don't worry, Shikadai. I'm gonna pass this test with flying colors." Bolt told the boy next to him as he walked out of the room confidently. He does not need luck to pass this test. Sure, he has failed a lot of them, but he knows for sure that he will pass this one. That is as long as he is finally able to master the clone jutsu, which he has had trouble with. _Maybe I can get Dad to help me! _He thinks, _No, he won't have time for me._ He wishes that the village would see that he can be just as strong as his dad.

Suddenly, Bolt hears a crunch behind him, as if someone stepped on a twig. He knows who it is without even having to look. Sarada. He does not know what her deal is, but she has been following him home for the last year. He pretends like he does not know that she is there just because he likes the idea of having a fan-girl. It does creep him out just a little, but it's not like she follows him everywhere. The weird part, however, is that whenever he says something to her at school, she just looks down at her feet. It's not just him, though. The only people she talks to is Ren and ChouChou. Bolt has only seen her dad a few times, but her mother is about as loud and obnoxious as Ren, so it's a mystery why she is so shy.

As he enters his house, he remembers that he can get Himawari, his younger sister, to help him with the jutsu. "Good afternoon, Bolt," His mother, Hinata, says in her usual quit tone. Something about his mother reminds him of Sarada, but he cannot put a finger on what it is.

"Hey mom," Bolt says, quickly nudging her off, "Where is Himawari?" Hinata sighs at her son. She wishes that he might stop for a moment and spend some time with his mother.

"She is outside." She says as Bolt heads outside. He runs to the backyard to see Himawari practicing the gentle fist jutsu on a log. Unlike Bolt, Himawari inherited the byakugan from their mother, and she sure does put it to good use. Himawari is hailed a prodigy, not just because of the byakugan, but because of the fact that she has far surpassed the average level for kids her age. She is far stronger than Bolt, even though she is a year younger than him.

"Hey, Himawari," Bolt awkwardly says, "Do you think you could help me with the clone jutsu?" Himawari's head slowly turned towards to her brother as a smirk appeared on her face. She takes great pleasure in being better than Bolt in things, especially when it comes to jutsu.

"I see you have finally realized that you will be nothing without my knowledge and wisdom," She tells him in her soft, yet confident voice.

* * *

_Shit!_ Sarada thought as cringed at the noise of the twig that she stepped on. Bolt stopped in front of her for the shortest moment, but continued foreword without looking behind him. Sarada rejoiced in her mind. She still does not know why she follows Bolt home every day. Maybe she wants to find out what about his life- other than his father, of course- pushes him to do the stuff that he does. He really does make a fool out of himself a lot, but that's what makes him special. If only she could find the courage to talk to him.

Sarada really cannot find the courage to talk to anyone other than Ren and ChouChou. She doesn't know what it is, but every time she is about to say something, it gets stuck in her throat. Oh, how she wishes she could voice her opinion on how idiotic all of her peers are. She wishes that they would spend a little less time worrying about how sharp their kunai knives are and a little more time worrying about how sharp their minds are. The only person in her class whose knowledge even comes close to hers is Inojin.

When Bolt finally arrived at his house, she made her way to hers, kicking rocks along the way. She is not worried about failing thee final exam, knowing that she has it in the bag.

* * *

"Shikadai! Remember to put your shoes up before you come in!" Temari, Shikadai's eternally nagging mother, shouts. He gets the same greeting every time he comes home. Then, when he is ready for some peace and quiet, she tells him to assist him with chores. It's the never ending cycle that he just cannot seem to break. That is the reason that he cannot wait to become a ninja. When he gets a steadily flowing salary, he is moving the hell out of this place. "Shikadai! Come help me fold the laundry!"

"What a drag," He mutters to himself as he walks into the room where his mother is folding laundry.

Sadly, she heard his comment, and slowly turned her head towards him with one eye twitching and a fake smile. "If you are going to give me that disrespect then you can fold this laundry on your own!" She shouts as she throws the already folded laundry into the air as it comes undone, "And don't expect dinner until you're done!" She storms out.

Shikadai sighs and takes a seat on the floor as he looks up at the ceiling fan. Just as he began folding the laundry, his father, Shikamaru, walked in. "Why did you have to marry such a naggy woman?"

"It's a family curse, actually," He replies as he takes a seat on the floor with his son and begins to help him fold, "My father married a naggy woman, I married a naggy women, and one day, you will too."

Shikamaru stopped to think about the naggy women in his life. His mom, Ren, ChouChou, and Himawari. "I think I just won't get married, then." He told his dad with a small laugh.

"That's what I thought too, son." He told Shikadai with a pat on the head.

"How did you guys meet? Since she is from the sand village and all," The curios boy asked his dad.

"Well, I beat her ass in the chunin exams," he replies. _Note to self: watch out for girls in the chunin exam. You might fall in love. _

* * *

The next day, all of the students woke early enough to eat a filling breakfast before making their way to the academy. "Hey, Bolt!" Himawari says to her big brother, "Can I walk with you to the academy today?"

This was a surprise to Bolt, considering Himawari usually does not want to be seen with "someone of his skill level." "Well I mean, if you really want to," Bolt told the girl. She nodded her head and grabbed her book bag, along with a sunflower they make their way out. Once they are out of the door, they meet up with Inojin, who lives across the street from them. _If I don't know any of the answers, I can always cheat off of Inojin._

"Hey, Inojin! I brought you this flower for good luck!" Himawari says as she walks over to Inojin and hands him the sunflower. _So that's why she wanted to come with me. _

As insensitive as always, Inojin looks at her and says, "You're a little young to be trying to flirt with me." It is a bad habit of Inojin's to disregard other's feelings when he speaks, even if he is speaking the truth. "How old are you now, nine?"

Himawari snatches the sunflower out of his hand and in front to walk in front of the two boys. "I'm eleven, thank you very much."

"Harsh, man." Bolt tells Inojin, but he just shrugs it off. Nothing about Inojin being rude to Himawari bothers Bolt. After all, she is rather rude herself.

After a short walk, the three of them reach the academy where Himawari takes off into the opposite direction where her class is, while the two boys find their seats in their class.

Meanwhile, Sarada sits alone in a corner, awaiting the arrival of her only friends. As always, the two of them arrive just on time, ChouChou carrying an abundance of snacks, and Ren polishing her batons. "Ready to ace this test, guys?" ChouChou shouts, making a thumbs up sign.

"I'm less worried about acing the test, and ore worried about grabbing first in the class." Sarada replies, with her usual serious look.

"Oh come on, don't be so serious all the time. I mean, who else do you think is going to get first? Bolt?" Ren says, as they all start laughing in unison. Little did they know however, that Bolt had trained all night with his little sister, and after a written test, and kunai throwing test, and a clone jutsu test, he was the only student with a perfect score.

Once the test is over, Sensei Aburame lines them all up in the order that they scored. Bolt, of course, first in line. Second in line is Sarada who gives Bolt the death glare the entire time, convinced of his cheating. Third is Inojin, wondering how he didn't get first. Fourth is Shikadai, who definitely would have gotten first if he put any effort into the written test. Fifth was Ren, who struggled with the clone technique, but was able to keep her score up with her skill with kunai knives. Sixth was Tai, the son of Rock Lee, who was only able to pass the first two portions of the test. Seventh was ChouChou, who was too busy eating to worry about the written test. Eight and Ninth are the Inazuka twins who just really didn't give a shit about these exams.

The nine ninja felt successful for once as the left the school with their brand new headbands, all ready to make a change in the world.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter** **if you have any questions, feel free to PM me! Don't forget to fav/follow/review!**

**Next Time! Bolt, Sarada, and Shikadai take on their new sensei in the bell test!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Bell Test

Sarada starred into the mirror, focusing on the pupil of her now red eyes. "Don't waste all of your chakra before your first day of training. Trust me, you'll need it," Sakura said, standing in the doorway to Sarada's room. Her startling voice managed to break Sarada's focus, causing her sharingan to disappear. 30 seconds! She held it for a whole 30 seconds! That's a new personal record!

"Mom! I just held my sharingan for 30 seconds!" Sarada enthusiastically told her mother. Sakura walked over to her daughter, crouched down to her height, and placed a hand her head.

"I'm so proud," She said as a single tear began to form in her eye. A small smile crept up on Sarada's face.

"Mom, don't worry about me. I will be fine," Sarada assured her mother.

Sakura wiped the tear off of her face and said, "It's my job to worry. I'm your mother." Sarada moved away from her mother and moved to her vanity where her new headband laid. She tied it on as she looked in the mirror. She began to contemplate who she was. _Am I really the child that my father wants? Someone who can only hold the sharingan for 30 seconds?_

"Sarada," Sakura said to get her attention, "I love you." Those words from her mother meant nothing to her now. She heard them every day, almost on repetition. The only person she strived to hear those words from where her father. Even when he does come home, he says little to nothing. He simply sits there and stares out into the distance. She wishes he would say something to someone, and try to talk his feelings out. Sarada sees how much it pains her mother.

Sarada picked up a small red knapsack, and made her way out of the house and to the academy. That was the day that they got their squad assignments. Sarada prayed and prayed that she did not get stuck with two knuckle-head ninja's.

Her prayers where not answered, however, when she got put with the cheater, Bolt, and the slacker, Shikadai. The three of them made their way to classroom 114, where they were supposed to meet their new sensei. Upon arrival, the room was empty.

"Uh, isn't our new sensei supposed to be here already?" Bolt asked the three of them.

"Well no dip." Shikadai shortly answered. Suddenly, a snicker came from the ceiling above them. "Shh- did you hear that?" Shikadai asked.

A slightly scared Bolt replied, "Yeah. What do you think it is?"

Walking over to where a broom was propped up against a wall, Shikadai replied, "I think I know." Carrying the broom, he walked over to a desk at the front of the room, and tapped the ceiling above, before jumping away.

The next thing the trio heard was a loud crash as a brown haired shinobi with a long blue scarf fell through the roof. "Konohamaru?!" Bolt shouted. Watching the whole ordeal was quite amusing to Sarada, for the behavior of these idiots was amusing.

"What the hell where you doing in the ceiling?" Shikadai asked Konohamaru.

Wiping himself off, Konohamaru replied, "I was going to test your reflexes and surprise you." Sarada could see what her two comrades where thinking. _What an idiot._

It really sucks when you sensei is dumber than your pupils, but Sarada would just have to get over it. "So what's our first mission?" An excited Bolt asked.

"Calm down. We won't be going on any missions quite yet." Konohamaru told Bolt. Bolt gave Konohamaru the most disappointed look. Sarada could not blame him, however, for she was looking forward to going on a mission herself. "We are going to the third training ground for a little test."

"Wait, I thought that we were done with tests when we graduated the academy?" A dumbfounded Bolt asked.

"Well, you actually have one final test to pass. Your performance decides whether you should be sent back to the academy for additional training, or expelled from the ninja program permanently." Bolt squirmed a little at the thought of being expelled from the ninja academy.

"The bell test," Shikadai said, standing against the wall with his arms crossed. Konohamaru peered at him, wondering how he knew.

"That's right," he began, "Well follow me." The four of them made their way out of the classroom and in the Leaf Village, walking through the streets until the go to the third training ground. The view was beautiful, with a river and a mountain off in the distance.

"Okay, first we will get to know each other," Konohamaru said as he motioned for us to all sit in a circle on the ground. "I'll go first. My name is Konohamaru, I like ramen and the sexy jutsu, I don't like Moegi when she beats me up for using the sexy jutsu, and my dream is to become the eighth hokage."

"My name is Bolt Uzumaki," He began, " I like pulling pranks on my dad, I don't like people who think that they are better than everyone else, like my sister, and my dream is to surpass my father." Bolt and Konohamaru exchanged glances as they realized their similar goals.

Wondering who was next, Bolt and Konohamaru looked back and forth at Sarada and Shikadai. "Alright, I'll go next," Shikadai said, "My name is Shikadai Nara, I enjoy watching clouds and playing shogi, I don't like folding laundry, and my goal is to live a quiet and peaceful life."

There was silence while everyone waited for Sarada to speak up. She had never talked to any of them before, but she did not want to seem like an idiot. "My name is Sarada Uchiha," She started, "I like to read, I don't dislike anything, and my goal is to…" She could not tell them about her goal to live up to her father's expectation, "My goal is to become a shinobi that the leaf village is proud of."

"Um, what do you think you are doing, Konohamaru?" A voice from behind them shouted. The four of them slowly turned around to see who it was that was yelling at them.

Suddenly Konohamaru jumped up and shouted, "I'm training my new squad! What do you think you are doing, imposing on my training lesson?" Konohamaru shout at the red haired ninja.

"I'm training the newly formed team Moegi!" She replied. That was when Sarada saw the three young shinobi following behind her. Inojin, Ren, and Tai.

"We were here first," Konohamaru told her.

"I don't care! I specifically told you that MY team is coming here today!" Things looked like they were about to get pretty intense between the two shinobi.

"Just play rock-paper-scissors to figure this out," Shikadai suggested.

"It's on," Konohamaru said to Moegi. She nodded her head as they got into battle stances, glaring at each other.

"One," Moegi started.

"Two," Konohamaru continued.

"THREE!" They both shout simultaneously. They looked down to see that Konohamaru was holding scissors, and Moegi was holding paper. Konohamaru let out a laugh as she Moegi directed her uninterested looking team away. As she was leaving, she stopped and looked back. "From now on, our teams are enemies, Konohamaru." Instead of responding, he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Should we really be making enemies on day one?" Shikadai asked. He was right. The team of rookie genins, and an idiot jonin should not be making enemies.

"They will become your enemies soon enough when you take the chunin exams. Those are coming up in about a month or so," He told them, dramatically staring off into the distance.

"I- um- I agree with Shikadai. I don't think that we should be making enemies in our own village," Sarada enjoyed speaking up. It gave her a chance to give input.

"I think that those idiots can kiss my ass! We were here first, so they can go jump in a hole for all I care!" The ever enthusiastic Bolt told them.

"See, at least one of you knows what is right," Konohamaru told them.

"So can we just get this bell test thing over with already? I wanna go home and play some shogi," Shikadai told them.

"Okay," Konohamaru said while standing up as he pulled out two bells, "The objective of the test is take a bell from me. If you cannot get a bell, then you either go back to the academy, or get expelled from the ninja program. If you haven't noticed, there are thee of you, and two bells. That means one of you will be sent back to the academy. Also, if you cannot get a bell, you will be tied to a stump." Konohamaru seemed to cringe at that last statement, as if he was tied to a stump when he took the test. "Any questions?"

"How long do we have?" Shikadai asked.

"Until sunset," Konohamaru replied, "Well if that's it, begin!" Shikadai immediately ran to cover, while Sarada and Bolt both tried to take a bell from. Bolt ran at him and threw a punch that was immediately dogged, while Sarada pulled out a kunai knife and prepared to stab him. Konohamaru grabbed her hand and twisted her arm until she dropped the knife. Both of them backed away from the jonin that they had underestimated.

"Psst!" They heard a noise coming from the bushes, "Over here!" They turned to see Shikadai sitting in bushes. They both hopped behind them. "I know the trick."

Bolt and Sarada exchanged glances. "What trick?" An out of breath bolt asked.

"The trick to getting thee bells. Teamwork."

"How do you know this?" Sarada asked.

"I'm a lot smarter than you think. He is actually really easy to read. Its reverse phycology, actually. When he was talking to us, he made it sound like we are each other's enemies, when really he is encouraging us to work together."

"Why would we work together when one person would get sent back to the academy?" Sarada asked.

"If we work together, no one will get sent back to academy, that's the thing." Sarada was shocked by this boy's intelligence. What he just told them was something that she would have never even thought about. "I have a plan."

"Well let's hear it!" Bolt said enthusiastically.

"Okay I am going to go around to the bushes behind him, you two spread out in this area of bushes in front of him. When you hear this," He made a bird chirping noise, "Attack. I will then catch him from behind with my shadow possession jutsu. While he is paralyzed, grab the bells."

"Sounds like a plan," Bolt said.

"Okay, move out." The three split up, leaving Sarada not only impressed by his intelligence, but also his tactics. After a few minutes of waiting, she finally heard the chirping noise, as he and Bolt jumped out of the bushes. They sprinted at Konohamaru, swinging their knives at him, when suddenly, he stopped moving. Sarada looked at the ground and saw a shadow stretching across the ground, along with Shikadai at the other end. Both Sarada and Bolt quickly grabbed the bells off of Konohamaru, and rejoiced in victory.

"We did it!" Sarada said, and before she knew if she was in an embrace with Bolt. "Oh- sorry," She said as she awkwardly pulled away blushing.

"It's all thanks to Shikadai Nara!" Bolt said.

"Too bad he has to get tied to a pole," Konohamaru coldly said.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. What a drag," Shikadai told them, "At least I will get plenty of time to watch the clouds."

"So did we pass?" Bolt asked Konohamaru.

"You squirts managed to get the bells using teamwork. Good job."

The three of them gave each other high-fives, as they ended a good day of training.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to follow/favorite/review!**

**Next chapter: Team Konohamaru receives their very first mission!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Road Trip!

"I think a nice D rank mission will be well suited for your abilities," The Orange Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, said to Team Konohamaru. They knew that their first assignment would be a D rank mission, for all beginners got D rank mission. However, both Bolt and Konohamaru were hoping for something a bit more fun and exciting.

"Come on Dad! Your first mission was B rank!" Bolt shouted as he walked over to the table where his dad and his dad's advisor, Shikamaru Nara, sat.

"My first mission was not B rank, my first _real_ mission was B rank," The Hokage corrected his son.

"Well I want some action! Come on, at least give us a C rank mission!" Bolt told his dad. While Sarada was impartial to what kind of mission they got, Shikadai would have preferred to get an easy D rank mission. He did not want anything that he would have to put too much effort into.

"Konohamaru, what kind of mission do you think they are ready for?" The Hokage asked.

Jumping at the idea of avoiding a boring D rank mission, Konohamaru said, "Well, they stole the bells from me easily with their flawless teamwork and tactical skills, so I think that they are ready for a C rank mission." Konohamaru would do anything to persuade the Hokage of their abilities.

"Well in that case, I have a nice and easy body guard mission," Naruto told them. He had faith in his son that he would be able to carry out a C rank mission, and he knew how happy it would make Bolt.

"Yes! A C rank mission!" Bolt shouted, "All right Pops, who will we be guarding?"

"Koni Rizui," Naruto said as Konohamaru and Bolt started jumping up and down in joy. They would be escorting Koni Rizui, the beautiful host of _Tomb Adventures!_ The show features Koni Rizui as she travels around the world in search of ancient relics and artifacts.

"I'm gonna get to meet Koni Rizui!" Bolt said jumping up and down. Both Shikadai and Sarada where at a loss to what is so great about this person they are going to be escorting.

"Yes, you will be escorting her, the director, and the camera crew," Shikamaru said looking at the contract. Sarada and Shikadai both realized that this woman was an actress, but still could not put a name with a face. Neither of them spend much time watching TV.

"You will be escorting them to the tomb of a dead feudal lord in the Land of Rivers. It is about a two day journey from here. You leave tomorrow morning." The Hokage said, ending their meeting.

As they walked out of the room, Sarada asked, "So who exactly is this Koni Rizui?"

Both Konohamaru and Bolt looked at her with shocked yes, as if it was crime not to know who she is. "Only the most beautiful woman to ever live! She super smart too! And she travels the world collecting relics and stuff on her show _Tomb Adventures!_" Konohamaru told her, as if he was in love with the woman.

"I'm gonna go get some shut eye before we leave tomorrow," Shikadai said as he waved behind him.

"You two should do the same. We will meet at the gate tomorrow at six in the morning," Konohamaru said as he walked in the other direction, leaving Bolt and Sarada alone.

"Well Sarada, I'll see you later don't bother following me home," He said to her. Her face got as red as a tomato in that moment. She thought he never noticed her following him. He laughed a bit. "It's okay, if it bothered me I would have said something a long time ago."

He started walking, leaving her behind in awe. How embarrassing, to think that he knew the whole time. She watched him as he walked towards his house. _But, he didn't mind? What that supposed to mean?_

When she got home, she found her mother dusting the bookshelves as always. She had heard that her mother was once one of the strongest ninja in Konoha, fighting alongside the Hokage. Why she gave all of that up for a life of cleaning and cooking, Sarada will never understand. Maybe if her dad was not gone so often, Sakura might have free time.

"Mom, boys are weird," She told her mother after taking off her shoes.

"I know sweetie, I know."

* * *

At exactly six the next morning, Bolt sprinted down the street. He almost slept in late! When he reached the rest of his team mates, he said, "Am I on time?"

"Barely," Konohamaru replied, almost as if he was disappointed. Bolt stood up and looked at the rest of the people at the gate. There, surrounded by a crew of about five people, stood the beautiful Koni Rizui. Her ruby red hair flowed down her back, and her emerald green eyes sparkled in the sun. "Well if that's everyone, we should leave."

As the group started walking, Konohamaru inched his way closer and closer to Koni Rizui. When he was finally walking next to her, he slicked back his hair and said, "Girl, it looks like you have mastered the sexy no jutsu." He finished his pick up line with an extremely corny wink while he waited for a response.

Without even looking into the poor guy's eyes, she told him, "Please remove yourself from my presence."

"Oh, come on baby! I know a little ramen shop where we chow on some noodles and then head back to my place," He pursued as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Is there a problem over here?" Bolt said, butting his head in between the two and giggling.

"Uh, no I was just-"

"Oh look at how cute he his!" Koni shouted while pinching Bolt's cheeks.

"You should start taking lessons from me on how to get the ladies," Bolt told Konohamaru as he was being smothered by the TV star.

Behind them, Shikadai and Sarada walked side by side. "All of this is such a drag," Shikadai told Sarada as he put his hands behind his head. Sarada was really starting to enjoy spending time with her team because they were helping her come out of her shell. She started as the shy girl who could not say a word, and now she was holding conversations with people. "I mean look at them. God, Bolt is such an idiot."

"Yeah, but I think he is an idiot in a good way," Sarada said with a bit of pinkness rising to her cheeks.

"What do you mean by that?" Shikadai asked in confusion, as to how someone could be a good idiot.

"Well, he's always making people laugh, and he's funny. Besides it's not like he is getting anyone into trouble or anything, he's just having fun," She told Shikadai.

"Not yet, at least."

"What are you saying? That he is going to cause trouble?" Sarada asked, a little irritated that someone would think that about him.

"Yeah, actually I am. He doesn't think before he says and does stuff, and one day that is going to backfire." Shikadai couldn't help but be completely honest with the girl. He could not let her idolize Bolt, or else that could get her into trouble.

After two days of walking and small talk with the crew, they finally reached the tomb. "The place looks like it hasn't been touched in years," Shikadai comment, placing one of his hands on a column and observing the architecture. The tomb was elaborately decorated, with white walls and floor, gold detailing, and green banners hung around.

A crew member pulled out a golden statute of a hog and said, "Okay, which one of you is going to go in the tomb with me to place the fake relic?"

"Wait, fake relic?" Bolt asked, realizing that his whole life has been a lie.

Chapter Four: The Ghost of Ushiba Munoto

"My whole life has been a lie! I can't believe this!" Bolt said while rolling on the ground in tears. He could not believe that _Tomb Adventures!_ was staged. It was his favorite show since he was little, and now it would never be the same. At least Koni Rizui is not a fraud, and is still as smart is she is on the show.

"Someone get the cue cards ready!" The director shouted at the crew. Bolt came to the realization that even Koni Rizui was a fraud, and that she simply read her knowledge off of cue cards.

"Sarada! Bolt!" Konohamaru shouted at the two, "Come with us to place the relic inside the tomb!" The two ran over to him.

"What about Shikadai?" asked Sarada.

"He is going to stay and watch the rest of the crew," Shikamaru answered.

"Konohamaru," Bolt began, "aren't you at least a little sad that the show is a lie?"

Looking into the distance with an extremely serious face, Konohamaru replies, "A true shinobi never lets emotions cloud his judgment while on a mission."

_Konohamaru sensei is actually kind of cool,_ Sarada thought as thee three entered the tomb. The tomb was dark, and smelled funky like that one time ChouChou left a cup of pudding out in the sun for three days. It gave Sarada a bad feeling as soon as she entered. "Don't we have a flashlight or something?" Sarada asked.

With a smile, Konohamaru replied, "Nope!" This caused Sarada to get even more freaked out.

"It smells like corpse juice in here," Bolt said while making a stink face.

The crew member who was with them seemed to take interest in what Bolt said. "You see, this tomb is the tomb of the feudal lord Ushiba Munoto. He was the ruler of the land of rivers hundreds of years ago." The three shinobi acted as if they were listening, when none of them particularly cared. "We are nearing the end of the tomb!" He said in excitement.

After walking through hallways of desecrating bodies, they reached a large, gold door. "This is it!" The crew member said, jumping up and down and clapping. He seemed to really enjoy going through tombs. _Maybe he should take Koni's spot, _Bolt thought to himself.

They slowly opened the door, but what was inside was a shock to all of them. There in the middle of the room stood a ghostly figure, with fog all around it, and clad in red armor. The three ninja went pale at this site. "Who dares enter my tomb?" The ghost bellowed.

It was almost like the three read each other's minds, for simultaneously, they sprinted out of the room, followed by the crew member who quickly set the artifact down.

Once outside, Shikamaru walked over to his panting team mates and said, "You guys look like you just saw a ghost."

"We kind of just did!" Bolt told him. Shikamaru gasped, but was pushed out of the way by the director who came marching over.

"Did I hear you say that there was a ghost in there?" The director asked in awe.

"Yeah! It was terrify-"

"Come on everyone! There is a ghost in this tomb! This is going to be the episode that lands in first place on the charts!" He shouted, gathering the rest of the crew.

"Are you crazy? You can't go in there!" Konohamaru shouted at him.

"We can't go in there without the four of you," The director corrected. The four ninja looked at him with wide eyes. He expected them to fight a ghost! You cannot defeat a ghost, because it's already dead.

"If we go in there, we will all die," Konohamaru said with wide eyes.

The director shrugged his shoulders and said, "Our ratings surely won't die." He ended the sentence with a slight chuckle.

"I'm not going in there," Shikadai claimed. He was thinking logically, but at the same time, if they failed their first mission, the Hokage would be disappointed.

"You have to," Konohamaru told him.

"What a drag."

"Well, if this discussion is over, let's get a move on!" The director shouted as he clapped at the crew. _What an idiot_ Sarada thought.

The crew gathered their equipment and grouped around the director and Koni as the four ninja where shoved to the back. "Koni needs to be in the front because she is a star," The crew would tell them. At least if anything attacked it would attack the faker Koni first and not them.

They walked through the old hallways once again until they reached the giant doors. "Is the ghost behind these doors?" The director asked them. They nodded their heads. "We want to get some cool shots of you ninja fighting the ghost, so go up to the front."

The four shinobi where pushed to the front and pushed into the doors, which opened with ease due to their last visit. The ninja shook in fear as they waited for the ghost to reveal itself. After a few minutes, they heard a crash come from a dark corner, and readied their kunai knives. "I told you not to come back to my resting place!"

"It wasn't our idea!" Konohamaru squeaked. It was obvious to the rest of the team that Konohamaru was very afraid of ghosts.

"Well then leave!" The ghost boomed.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that," Konohamaru told the ghost. The young shinobi truly admired Konohamaru. He was obviously afraid of the ghost, yet stood his ground.

It was shortly lived, however, when the ghost flew at them. It pulled out a long sword, and began swinging at them. The ninja dodged the ghost as it moved around the room, getting closer to it each second. They began to strike at the ghost, thinking that their attacks would do nothing. The weird thing was that their knives seemed to be cutting through something solid. "Wait, that's not a ghost! It's a person!" shouted Shikadai in disgust. They realized that in the dim light, a human under a bed sheet with some armor could look like a ghost.

"We now have the right to arrest you for attacking innocent citizens," Konohamaru sternly said gesturing to the crew.

A boy around the genin's age emerged from underneath the sheets. He had shaggy brown hair and an exquisite robe, along with an enraged looked on his face. "Yes, because you have the right to impose on my grandfather's tomb!"

The ninja realized what they had been doing the whole time. They had been violating some one's tomb, and that was truly despicable. "My grandfather doesn't deserve this!" The boy shouted busting out in tears.

"We are so sorry," Sarada said, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"Don't touch me!" He shouted at her, smacking her hand away. "I just miss him so much. He didn't deserve to die."

"Wait, I thought you said that the tomb is hundreds of year old?" Shikadai said to the crew member who they had come in earlier with.

Scratching his head, he said, "Well maybe I bent the truth just a little." The four shinobi shook their heads at him.

"We should leave," Sarada said the ninja and the crew.

"Wait!" The weeping boy shouted. The crew turned their attention to him. "That was selfish of me. My grandfather would have wanted you to use his tomb."

The director's face lit up as he started giving people various instructions as they got a shot of Koni taking the artifact.

"Well, Team Konohamaru, our first mission has been a success!" Konohamaru congratulated them, "That means free ramen for everyone!"

**A/N: So I hope everyone liked that chapter. I hope you stay tuned for next chapter, because that where things really start to heat up! Don't forget to follow/favorite/review!**

**Next Time: Team Konohamaru signs up for the chunin exams being held in the Village Hidden in the Grass, only to realize how big the competition is. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to say sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out! Also, some new OCs will be introduced in this chapter, so tell me what you think about them!**

Chapter Four: Journey to the Village Hidden in the Grass

Shikadai, Bolt, Sarada, and Konohamaru had arrived to Konoha a few days ago after their nerve racking mission, and were given a few days of rest before their next mission. While Bolt was eager for his next mission, the rest of them were thankful for their days of rest. It meant time to relax, and even train for their next mission.

When Sarada arrived home, she was greeted with plenty of hugs from her mother, and a poke on the forehead from her father. He had returned from his travels so that he could watch the chunin exams, which he was confident Sarada would be taking. Sarada, however, did not think that she would be in the chunin exams due to her lack of experience.

"Well me, your father, and the rest of the people in our rookie year took the exam," Sakura protested.

"And how many of you were promoted to chunin?" Sarada asked, already knowing the answer. Sakura had told her stories from her childhood, especially ones involving the Hokage and her father. She could tell that her mother greatly admired both of them. After all, who didn't admire the Hokage? It surprised her whoever, that Sakura admired her father, considering the fact that he seemed to be disliked by a good bit of village.

That was one story that Sakura never told her about. The story of how Sasuke became hated by so many people. It was something Sarada had always been curios about, but never felt like it would be an appropriate question to ask.

"Yeah, I know only one of us was promoted, but that doesn't mean that you don't have a chance! I still believe that if you try hard enough you can make it into the third round!" Sakura tried to assure her.

"Mom, I just don't think I am ready," Sarada told her mother. Compared to Shikadai's intelligence, and Bolt's great combat skills, Sarada felt like she was the weakest on of the pack. In fact, she felt like she was the weakest one out of all of the rookies, considering that she couldn't even keep her sharingan for long.

Crouching down to be at eye level with her daughter, Sakura said, "Sarada, you are extremely talented, and I have faith in you," She said as she brushed a piece of hair out of Sarada's face, "Now get to bed so that you aren't tiered tomorrow."

Sarada had almost forgotten! Konohamaru called for a team meeting tomorrow, stating that he had very important news. Sarada walked up the stairs to her bedroom, and changed into her pajamas, before going to bed.

When she woke up the next morning, she quickly got ready and rushed to the Third Training Ground, where the team was meeting. When she got there, she found Shikadai, Bolt, and Konohamaru all waiting for her. "Well, now that you are all here, I have an announcement!" Konohamaru announced.

"Let me guess! You are buying all of us ramen?" Bolt asked.

"No," Konohamaru said sharply, obviously not appreciating the interruption. "If I may continue, I have signed you up for the chunin exams being held in the Village Hidden in the Grass."

Sarada should have seen this coming. The exam was only a few days away, so why else would he have called them to a very important meeting. "Are we the only rookie team competing?" Shikadai asked, seeming worried about the whole thing. Sarada could not understand why he would be so worried. He did take after his dad, after all.

"There are two other teams competing this year from the Leaf Village. The first is Team Moegi, another rookie team who I am sure you already know of. The third, however, is Team Hohki. They are a team that graduated from the academy a year before you. Be careful around them, for they are highly skilled." Konohamaru told them. The lack of teams participating was due to the fact that the teams would have to travel to the Grass Village.

"I see. That's why you haven't sent us out on any missions recently," said Shikadai.

"Yes. I didn't want any of you to get hurt, so you will be in prime condition for the exams." Konohamaru replied. The whole concept was exciting, but scary to Sarada. She would get travel to the Village Hidden in the Grass, but would have to face off against a bunch of new ninja.

"Can you still buy us ramen, though?" Bolt asked. Of course he had to ask something stupid like that.

"No," Konohamaru said, "Everyone meet me at the front gates tomorrow at five in the morning."

"Five in the morning!?" Bolt shouted, as if it was crazy that he would have to have to wake up that early.

"Yeah, five in the morning," Konohamaru said, "I suggest that you enjoy this last day in the Leaf Village." Konohamaru said that last sentence as if the chunin exams where a bad thing. He said it like we would dread them by the time it was over.

The squad disbanded, each member going in a different direction. Sarada was making her way home when she saw Inojin standing on a bridge, all alone. He was staring off into the distance, his eyes focused on some invisible thing. "Hey, Inojin," Sarada awkwardly said. She had never talked to Inojin before, but he was going to be in the chunin exams along with her. She might as well get a word or two in with him.

He didn't respond to her greeting, but instead stayed staring off into the distance. Sarada walked over and leaned against the bridge next to him. "So, I hear you are going to be competing in the chunin exams. Well, that's cool because I am too!" Sarada tried to start a conversation.

This time Inojin looked at her and said, "Sarada, you are too weak. You are going to die in the exams." Sarada shouldn't have expected any less of Inojin, but that really hurt her feelings.

"And how would you know? Are you so great and powerful that you know the strength of everyone?" Sarada spat. He simply looked out on the horizon again.

"I have the potential to become a great ninja, and I believe that my destiny is to change the world," Inojin said. He was always kind of weird, but in a mysterious way. It was like the insults that he constantly threw at everyone where covering up his true thoughts and intentions.

"What's your deal?" Bolt said. He must have gotten to the bridge sometime during their conversation.

Still looking at the horizon, Inojin said, "I don't have a deal. I am simply stating the truth."

A look of disgust crept up on Bolt's face. He grabbed Sarada's hand and said, "Come on Sarada." He led her off of the bridge and away from Inojin. After they made their way into town, Bolt said, "He's such a jerk."

Sarada didn't respond, and simply looked off in the direction that Inojin was in. "Hey, do you wanna get some ramen?" Bolt asked, trying to cheer Sarada up.

"Sure," Sarada said, following behind him on their way to the ramen stand. It seemed to her that Bolt and Inojin were polar opposites. While Bolt was sometimes and idiot, he was kind and compassionate. He seemed to care about his friends and the village. On the other hand, Inojin had always been smart and efficient, but was mean and blunt. The only thing was, she could not bring herself to get mad at Inojin. She didn't know why, but there was something about him. Something making her feel _sorry_ for him.

When they arrived at the ramen shop, Bolt ordered both of them some ramen. "So, are you excited for the chunin exams?" Bolt asked Sarada.

Looking down at her ramen, she said, "Well actually, I'm kind of scared." Sarada was even more scared after Inojin told her that the other ninja would kill her.

"Don't be scared. I'll protect you," Bolt said with a big smile on his face. Maybe Sarada will get through this test.

* * *

The next morning, Teams Konohamaru, Moegi, and Hohki arrived at the gate of the village. "Well, if that's everyone, we should get leaving," The woman that Sarada presumed to be Hohki said. She was a muscular woman, with long, black dreadlocks and brown skin, along with black eyes. She was wearing a black jacket with blue pants, and had red and green beads strung in her dreadlocks.

"I'm so excited!" Shouted a short boy on team Hohki. He had shaggy pink hair, and beautiful emerald eyes. Sarada could tell that he loved his hair color, due to the fact that both the robe he wore, and his shoes where bright pink. He almost reminded Sarada of her mother.

"Don't be annoying, Tezuka," said another boy on Team Hohki. This one looked tougher compared to Tezuka. He had brown hair along with grey eyes, and wore a leather jacket. "Hi, I'm Isao." He held out a hand for the three young ninja to shake.

"Wait but that's only 1-2-3," Bolt said as he counted the squad members, "That's only three! Where is the fourth member of your squad?" That was when everyone on Team Hohki looked back at a girl leaning against a tree.

"Hey! What do you think you ae doing?" Bolt shouted at the girl. He got a better look at her, and saw that she was a very tall girl, with dark purple- almost black- hair, and black eyes. She had a blue head wrap with her forehead protector on the back. Her hair fell down to about her shoulders.

She pulled out cigarette in her mouth and blew smoke in Bolt's face. "What do you think _you're_ doing?" She asked Bolt in response. Due to her height, she towered over Bolt. When she bent down to be at eye level with him, the fear on his face grew greater.

"I wouldn't mess with Tanaka while she is smoking, kid," Isao told Bolt. Bolt slowly backed away from her.

Patting Bolt on the head, Tanaka laughed, "Don't worry kid, I'm not gonna hurt you. That's bitchy, and I try not to be bitchy."

Tezuka walked over to Sarada and excitedly said, "Oh my gosh! You are so cute with whole nerdy look!" Sarada wasn't sure if what he said was an insult or a complement. "I think we are going to be best friends!" Sarada noticed Tezuka's eyes constantly shifting over to Inojin, as his face heated up. "Your friend over there is really cute."

Sarada looked Inojin who was staring down the three genin of Team Hohki, obviously trying to figure out their skills. "Sorry, but I think Himawari Uzumaki has already laid claim to him." Sarada could see why a lot of people had crushes on Inojin. He was cute, cool, and collected.

Suddenly, Ren Inazuma came stomping over to Shikadai. "SHIKADAI!" She yelled as she angrily walked over to him, before shoving his head to the ground with her foot. "Don't think that you can get away with what you did," She whispered as she got extremely close to his face, "I know it was you who stole my coupon for free dumplings."

A smile slowly crept up to Shikadai's face. "I'm sorry I just couldn't help it! It was sticking out of your pocket, and well, I was really hungry." She squinted her eyes at him, before pulling out one of black batons and hitting him on the head over and over again.

"Ren! There is no need for violence at this time," Tai said as he fluttered over to her and Shikadai, "The power of youth will allow you a chance for revenge during the exam!" Ren slowly backed away from Shikadai while still squinting her eyes.

Sarada new that this test was going to be a long one with all of these idiots.

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Also, Hohki is actually this girl that was in Konohamaru's class at the academy in Naruto. She had really cool dreadlocks so I couldn't help but put her in the story, just because of her hair. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review! **

**Next time: Team Konohamaru scopes out the competition, and the chunin exams begin!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to update! School has been keeping me super busy, so the only time I have to sit down and write for long periods of time is during the weekend. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter Five: The Written Exam

The Village Hidden in the Grass was rather strange compared to Konohagaure. Like the name implies, the grass was tall. It looked like the landscape was the last thing the citizens of the town worried about. The village was overgrown with trees, bushes, grass, and giant mushrooms. Bolt developed a strange affinity for the mushrooms, and could not help but poke them everytime he saw one.

Everyone in the village seemed to be in a hurry all of the time, and everywhere you would look, scholars would be running around carrying stacks of books. For a town with so many scholars, it was not very technologically advanced. All of the buildings where made out of wood, and there were no electronics in sight. It was uncomfortable for the lea ninja who were not used to grass wet from morning dew constantly rubbing against their legs, or slimy frogs running over their feet every time they stood still. That explained the attire of the natives. Everyone had on long robes or leggings, closed toed shoes, and straw hats to keep the dew from the trees getting them wet.

The village did not have a wall surrounding it for protection, and didn't particularly need one either. The young Leaf ninja were not able to spot the village until they were only meters away due to the tall trees and grass surrounding it.

After standing around for a while, the Leaf ninja where approached by a woman in about her mid-twenties with straight black hair and brown eyes. "Good afternoon Leaf ninja! My name is Mai, and I will be your escort during you stay in the village!" She said in an enthusiastic voice that almost sounded forced. She sported a wide smile and big, open eyes.

Jumping up and down, a frantic Tai asks, "Uh, Mai! Where is the bathroom? I really have to pee!"

Instead of answering his question, Mai looks at him for a few seconds. "God, Tai. Learn some manners," Ren whispered to him before sticking her nose in the air, as if she was a gift from heaven when it comes to manners.

"I will now escort you to the hotel that you will be sleeping in during your stay here," Mai told them before leading them through the village. There was something off about Mai, something almost… robotic. Sarada felt uncomfortable around her, and tried not to make eye contact with her emotionless eyes.

They arrived at a tall, wooden building that Mai introduced as their hotel. "Of course, the boys and girls will be sleeping in different rooms, so your room assignment will be at the front desk," Mai said as she awkwardly watched the ninja as they made their way to the front desk and got their room assignments. Sarada knew already that she would be rooming with Ren and Tanaka, considering they were the only two female minors. The ninja crowded around the desk as they each got the keys to their rooms, and where then given a schedule by Konohamaru: bathe, get dressed, and then meet in the adult's room for dinner.

"Remember that all of the Shinobi from foreign villages will be staying in this hotel, so don't loudly brag about that knew jutsu you just learned. Other ninja in the room next to you could over hear you and begin plotting against you," Konohamaru reminded the ninja as they scurried up their rooms excitedly.

Upon entering their rooms, they found a large room with a table and a sitting area, and three smaller rooms connected with beds. Each of the three rooms led out to a long balcony. The hotel room was nice, and Sarada found it very hospitable that the village would supply them with the living space at no cost.

"Is your first time taking the exam, Tanaka?" Ren asked the raven haired girl. Tanaka made a confused face as if she had to think about it for a moment.

"No. My team and I took it last year, but we didn't get past the second round," She answered. She made it out to seem like it was no big deal that failed, which was a big shock to Ren and her competitive attitude. Ren was not used to losing because she simply did not allow herself to lose. In her mind, she _had _to be the best at everything. Whenever she does loose, she has panic attacks as if it kills her. For example, Sarada and her were practicing their genjutsu together, which Ren has no talent for, and Sarada was doing significantly better. She then proceeded to not sleep for days until she mastered the spell. It was a mystery to everyone why she pushed herself so hard.

"Why not?" Ren quizzed, as if it was bad for her to be around a loser like that.

Tanaka sighed, and then sat down before explaining. "A lot of strong people take this test. A lot of people have taken it multiple times. We just weren't strong enough. We got beaten. Badly," She said. Sarada did not know much about the exam, but she did not think it would involve fighting other people. She pictured a bloody and bruised team Hohki laying on the ground of some sort of arena, surrounded by older ninja as they laughed at their failure. A fear rose over her, as if the same would happen to her.

"See this scar?" Tanaka asked, lifting up her shirt to reveal her stomach. Underneath her purple shirt was a large scar that looked as if she had been stabbed. "That's what happens when you underestimate your opponents."

Feeling uncomfortable with the conversation and now thinking of all of the ways she could get hurt during this exam, Sarada stood up and said, "I think I am going to head down to the bath." The two remaining girls knew what was going through Sarada's mind, and wanted to comfort her. At the same time, they knew that she was a ninja, and needed to get over her fears.

Sarada made her way down to the bath, and sat in peace. She remembered that her mother and father would be traveling here to watch the exam. _If people can watch the exam, does that mean that it is a public arena_? Sarada imagined teams being pitted against each other, fighting to the death with blood splattering everywhere like a slaughter house. Worst of all, her father will be watching her. He would probably laugh at how weak she is, and decide that she is a disgrace. Maybe, he would even disown her.

It was not long until the rest of the girls came down to the bath. They got in and started bathing, each thinking of all of the possibilities of the exam. Tanaka did not want a repeat of last year. She did not want to fail her own team because of her own stupid decisions. She was the one that told them to stand their ground instead of running. She was the one who told them to fight back. She was the one who got them hurt so badly. She thought of Tezuka on the ground and screaming in pain while his arm bled more and more, and Isao paralyzed from the opponents genjustsu. She tried to move, but at the sight of her own guts on the ground, she passed out. They took their scroll, and it was all over. They might have even died if it wasn't for another team who passed by them and felt bad for the rookies.

The last thing Ren wanted was to fail. She _never _failed, and she did not plan to start then. The concept of failure was foreign in her brain, because she _had _to be the best at everything. If she did fail… no she could not even think about it.

Meanwhile in the boy's bath, Shikadai and Bolt thought about the possibilities during the test. Tezuka and Isao had already told them about the outcome of the exam the previous year, and they could not stop thinking that that would happen to them. Shikadai thought about all of the wise ninja, who might outsmart him. His fighting skills were not great, so his intelligence was all he had. If they encountered someone smarter than him, then they were screwed.

Bolt thought about the possibility that he would not be able to protect his friends. He knew that he was the best at combat in the squad, so it was his job to protect Shikadai and Sarada, even if it cost him his life. As far as he knew, his friend's lives were more valuable than his own.

When the ninja finished their baths, they each headed back up to their rooms to get ready for dinner. The three girls sat in their room as they found clothes to wear. "My dad bought me a new outfit for the exams. He said that the best way to win is to win in style," Ren said as she twirled around in her knew outfit. It consisted of a tight, dark blue shirt that went down just below her waist, and had zippers on either side, along with black shorts that went to her mid-thigh, and fishnet tubes that went to her knees.

Sarada could not help but laugh when she thought about Ren and her father standing next to each other with their long hair and piercings, going on about how winning is "the purpose of life". Sarada had replaced her school girl uniform with a red shirt, a black skirt, fish net leggings, and a white jacket with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back. Tanaka sported a dark purple crop top with fish net covering the rest of her stomach, gray cargo pants, and a flak jacket.

After getting dressed they went to the adult's room to eat dinner. It was the only time since the arrived that everyone was together, and all the shinobi were as tense as ever. No words were needed to express this, because they could feel the tension. It was like substance in the air that brushed across their foreheads every time someone moved. Unimportant small talk was made, but no one would dare to say anything that would express their emotions. Besides, they were all enemies then, and you never look weak in front of your enemies.

* * *

The next morning, everyone woke early to begin the first part of the exam. Team Hohki knew that the first exam was written, and that it there would be some trick to getting the answers, but the rookies feared for their lives. For all they knew, they could be walking into a death trap in the first stage.

When they arrived at the building, they stood inside an empty room with nothing but a stage in the front. Konohamaru had to leave his team, so the three young ninja where now alone. They quietly talked to each other about the competition that they saw in the crowd. "Who are they?" Bolt asked, nodding his head towards three ninja. They sported theme purple and bronze clothes, with things that looked like machines on their arms. On their headbands where what looked like clocks, and they stood in confident positions, as if they knew they would win.

"They come from a village that we recently allied. They are a new village, the Village Hidden in Time," Shikadai replied. He knew all about the relations with the other villages due to the fact that it was all his father would talk about besides shogi and clouds.

"What are those things on their arms?" Sarada asked, looking disgusted.

Shikadai examined them, before replying, "They look like machines powered by the user's chakra." The three shinobi looked in awe, before they heard the doors open behind them.

"Woah," Sarada said when the ninja who walked in revealed themselves. A group of three white haired ninja entered the room, but the one in the front stuck out. He was the most beautiful creature any of them had seen. His eyes where a pale grey, the color of a rainy day. His skin was light, like a marshmallow. His hair was the color of snow and went down to his waist. He wore an exquisite robe, patterned with blue and white flowers, and when he smiled, everyone stopped what the where doing and stared. He had a katana in a holder slung around his shoulder, and his fore head protector was on the sash tying his robe together. They were from the Village Hidden in the Snow.

The rest of his team was another white haired boy, with a staff on his back and a long, ragged shirt. Also accompanying him was a girl with white pigtails, and a longbow on her back. Even though they looked strong, they still looked just as nervous as the Leaf Village rookies.

After the entrance of the snow ninja, a man walked up on the small stage at the front of the room. He looked tiered and uninterested, as if he was forced to be there. "Hello, genin," He sighed, "Today you will be taking the first part of your exam. It's a written test with thirty questions, and you will have fifteen minutes to take it."

_Fifteen minutes? That's two questions a minute. _Shikadai thought to himself.

"We will be taking twenty of you at a time in no particular order. The scores on your test will then be averaged among your group, and only the teams with a score of twenty five or higher will pass. Have fun," He dully said before letting the first twenty ninja in to take the test. Sarada began to get worried. She was sure that Shikadai would do just fine on the test, but Bolt was a different story. He was a fighter, not a thinker.

Time passed as each group of twenty went to take the test. Each time a group finished, twenty ninja would come out looking dazed and confused, causing Sarada to get more nervous every minute. _Maybe I will just let Bolt cheat off of me. _Sarada thought. Eventually, it was their turn to take the test. They entered the room and saw that the desks where not regulars desks. They were boxed in so that you could not see out of them, leaving no possible way for cheating. The tests were passed out, and Sarada began to grow nervous about what was on the test.

When she finally received the test, she looked at the first question. "Who was the advisor to the second Mizukage?" it asked. A look of confusion grew on Sarada's face. She wondered how anyone there would know something like that, especially since there were no mist ninja there at the time.

She skipped to the next question, which required her to decode a sentence. These questions where things that no genin would know. She read each question, growing more confused each time she read one. She did not have the slightest clue about the answer to any of them.

The sixteenth question read, "Muneyaki Sakurada was the advisor of which Mizukage?" She then flipped back and reread the first question. The she read the seventeenth question. "Write this sentence in Morse Code: The fat cat jumped over the mat and ran around the house before eating his dinner."

That was when it hit Sarada. The answer to the questions where within the questions.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I will try to get the next chapter out sooner than I did this one, but don't forget to review/follow/favorite!**

**Next Time: Team Konohamaru advances to the next round, where they find strange oddities waiting for them! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone! I have been on a writing binge this weekend, so I hope that the quick update makes up for the two weeks that I waited to post the last chapter. Without further ado, I present Chapter six!**

Chapter Six: Tigers and Katanas

Fifteen minutes passed as Sarada scurried to find the answers to the questions hidden in test. She was lucky that she figured it out, for only the smartest of ninja would have spotted it. The test was obviously a test of perception. Sarada knew that Shikadai would figure out how to get the answers, but Bolt was another story. He could be sitting at his desk at that very moment, fretting about the test.

Sarada looked at the clock in the back of the room. Two minutes to go. Sarada wondered if anyone else figured out the way to pass the test, or if there was someone smart enough to answer the questions without figuring out the trick. Each passing moment, Sarada became more and more nervous about the state of her teammates. She really wanted to prove to her father that she was worth something, because if she does not he might give up on her.

"Alright, time is up!" A proctor at the front of the room said, "Find your team and bring your test to thee proctors by the door!" Sarada picked up her finished test and found Bolt and Shikadai.

"How do you think you did?" Sarada asked the boys. Shikadai had his bored expression, like he does every day, but Bolt looked completely dazed.

"I just put down random stuff," Bolt said shaking his head, "That was the hardest test I have ever taken."

"I was able to get thee answers by looking in other questions," Shikadai told them, "It's a pretty good test if you ask me. It teaches you that sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you." Sarada knew that these tests usually had deeper meanings, and congratulated Shikadai on figuring it out.

When the team made their way to the door, a proctor said to them, "Your team number is 54. Write it at the top of your tests." They did as they were told, before handing them the tests and going back into the empty room. Sarada estimated that about two more group would go in to take their tests, so they would only have to wait for about half an hour. The group following them consisted of both Team Moegi and the snow ninja.

"Hey, Sarada?" Bolt said to her. She turned to face him. "Do you think that we will pass?" He asked.

She had to think about it for a moment. She knew that both her and Shikadai got all of the questions right, but in order for the average to equal 25, Bolt would have had to have gotten at least half of the questions right. In that case, it would be a miracle if they passed. "I don't know," She told him.

"I sure hope we do. I _need _to become a chunin, that way I can make more money and move away from that crazy woman sooner," Shikadai told them, referring to his mother.

Eventually, all of the ninja finished taking their tests, and everyone grew nervous as they waited for the test results. Tensions ran high as each ninja predicted who would pass. Eventually, the same proctor who announced the instructions walked up on the stage. "Alright, so if I call your team's number, you passed. Everyone else can leave. Let's see," He said as he flipped through a clipboard, "Teams 3, 8, 19, 14, 22, 27, 32, 35, 39, 44, 46, 47, 52, 54, 59, 62, 63, and 65." Sarada sighed in relief when their team's number was called. She looked around as upset ninja left the room, and saw that remaining was Team Moegi, Team Hohki, the snow ninja, and the time ninja. "For those of you remaining, proctors will escort you to the next stage of the exams." Sarada noted that the majority of the remaining teams were from the Grass Village, but that was to be expected. After all, they did have the home field advantage.

Bolt must have been extremely good at guessing if he was able to get half of the questions right but whatever the case, the whole team was just glad that they passed. The only thing that worried Sarada was that the first stage of something is usually the easiest. If that was the first stage, then she had no idea how they were going to pass the next stages.

A proctor led the remaining ninja out of the building and through the town. They walked for a while before reaching the outskirts, where they approached a large fenced in area with multiple doors. From what they could see, the inside looked like some sort of jungle, or maybe a forest. When they arrived a lady in about her thirties was standing on platform. She had long green hair, and bright yellow eyes, along with a long white lab jacket. "Hello remaining ninja!" She shouted in an enthusiastic voice. Her face lit up at the sight of the shinobi, as if she had been waiting for this her entire life. "My name is Dr. Seki, and I am in charge of the next stage of your exam! In this portion of the exam, you will be locked in my _special place _for five days. At the start of the exam, you will be given either a heaven or an earth scroll. Your objective is to get the scroll that you are missing. For example, if you have a heaven scroll, you need an earth scroll. The only way to succeed is by taking a scroll from another team. This part of the exam will eliminate at least half of you if not more."

_Half of us?_ Shikadai thought _there is no way we will pass this one. _He looked around at the competition, noticing that the majority of the ninja were older and stronger looking than them. "For those of you who don't already know," Dr. Seki went on, "This is the breeding ground for genetically enhanced animals and plants used for military purposes. A piece of advice: Be careful about what you eat. When you have the two required scrolls, go to the building in the center of the arena. Lastly, it would be wise not to open the scrolls." With that she stepped down from the platform before directing the ninja to a table handing out the scrolls. Team Konohamaru got in line just like the rest of the ninja, before being handed an earth scroll.

"Go to gate fourteen," A proctor told them. They walked around the perimeter of the gate for a while before reaching a large metal gate with the fourteen painted on it in red.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Bolt asked. Sarada and Shikadai shrugged their shoulders, but Bolt's question was answered when Dr. Seki's voice boomed over the speaker system.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" She said as the large gate opened. The three ninja sprinted into the habitat before realizing that they actually had no idea what they were doing.

"So, what do we do now?" Bolt said as they flew through the trees.

"Well we want to get a scroll as soon as possible, that way we don't have to try to survive of the land here. The trick is finding a team with a heaven scroll, and then beating them," Shikadai responded. At any moment they could be jumped by another team, and even if they do win, there would only be a 50% chance that they will have a heaven scroll.

"If we stay in one area, eventually another team will find us," Sarada suggested. The only problem with her plan is that they will not have the advantage of a sneak attack. A perfect sneak attack could easily eliminate one or more ninja, so they want to be on the offensive side of things.

"No. We need the advantage of a sneak attack. We have to find a team ourselves," Shikadai told them. Shikadai began to wonder how they would find a team, and pictured the arena in his head. Since it is a circle, the farther in they get, the more concentrated the teams would be. Their best bet is to get as close to the center as possible. "We need to go to the center of the arena."

They made their way to the center as Sarada began to think about what Dr. Seki had said. _"For those of you who don't know, this is the breeding ground for genetically enhanced animals and plants used for military purposes." _Nothing so far looked strange to her. That was until she heard the shriek come from come from the east of them. They all stopped, and knew that that means a team must be in that direction, leaving them with two possibilities. First, there could be two teams, one defeated, and the other with both the heaven and the earth scroll. Secondly, there could be one team, recently attacked by a genetically enhanced plant or animal, leaving their scroll unguarded.

"That way!" Shikadai commanded. There had to have been other teams in the area that heard the shriek like they did, and could be going in the same direction as them. They wanted to be the first ones there, so that they could get the scroll. When they approached the area, they looked down at the ground from the trees. On the ground was a terrifying sight. There laid three mauled bodies, one dead and the other two barely breathing. Their guts were spilled on the ground. And blood was all around. "An animal attack."

The three ninja hopped down from the trees to investigate the ground below them, when one of the ninja whispered, "No, get out of here."

"Wait what?" Shikadai asked before they heard a growling noise come from the bushes beside them. All of the ninja in the area froze in fear.

"No, it's back," the same dying ninja whispered. Suddenly, a giant, pink and green tiger jumped out of the bushes with a loud roar. "Sarada! Grab the scroll!" Shikadai said before running backwards.

"What do I do?" Bolt asked as he panicked, running around in a small area.

"Distract it!" Shikadai commanded.

"How am I supposed to do that without getting killed?" Bolt said in panic while waving around a kunai knife in its face. The beast turned its attention to the boy in front of it, and swiped its claws at him. Meanwhile, Sarada was searching frantically through each of the bodies to try and find their scroll. When she reached the third body, she found thee scroll in a pocket on his vest grabbed it without looking at what kind of scroll it is.

Bolt got the scare of a lifetime when the claws on the giant tigers paw grew to be about a foot long. Bolt's eyes go huge as he froze in fear, accepting his fate. His whole life flashed before his eyes as the claws began to come down on his body. Thankfully, before the claws could reach him, the tiger froze. Bolt, thanking god, looked towards Shikadai who had the tiger trapped in his shadow possession jutsu. Looking back up at the enormous tiger, Bolt threw the kunai knife in his hand straight through its eye. Shikadai released the shadow possession jutsu, and the tiger fell to the ground.

The three ninja gathered as Sarada pulled out the scroll that she took. "Damn, just another earth scroll," Shikadai said in frustration.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Sarada said, directing the boys away from the bloody scene.

They flew through the trees for a while before Shikadai spoke up and said, "Guys, we need to stop. My chakra is low from using that jutsu on such a large opponent." The three ninja jumped down from the trees and rested in a small clearing below them. Shikadai immediately collapsed from exhaustion. "Man guys, we really need a healer on this squad," Shikadai said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. Bolt sat down next to him to rest, when Sarada heard a stream nearby.

"I'm going to get us some water," Sarada said before walking in that direction. She spotted the stream, and pulled out a small canteen that she kept with her. Her mother gave it to her for her tenth birthday, stating that water is a necessity when it comes to survival.

She started humming a song that her mom used to sing to her as a child, realizing that she had never been away from home for this long. She realized how much she missed her mom, no matter how overprotective she is.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her hand, as she looked at the long katana that went straight through it. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at the three grass ninja surrounding her. The each wore matching tan robes, black leggings, and straw hats. "Give us your scroll, little girl, and we won't have to hurt you anymore," The female of the group said, revealing her emerald green eyes. How could Sarada have been so stupid? Of course there would be ninja ready for an ambush at a stream, considering that fact that everyone needs water.

Remembering the extra earth scroll that Sarada picked up off of the group of ninja that they encountered earlier, she took it out and said, "Here, take it."

"You are in our gratitude," The female ninja said almost mockingly, before she nodded at her teammates and ran off. Sarada looked down at her bloody hand, and a tear began to fall down her face. She knew she wasn't ready for this, and she wanted to quit. She slowly got up and made her way back to the area were Bolt and Shikadai were camped out. As soon as she approached them, they knew she had been attacked.

They were just having bad luck in this round.

**A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to favorite/follow/review.**

**Next Time: Team Konohamaru struggles to get their hands on a heaven scroll! **


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